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There’s No Rational, Logical And Evidential Basis To Ban Overage Cars – Minority
According to him, this is a half-hearted attempt by the government just to score cheap political points.
Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia program, the NDC MP called on government to reconsider its decision to pass the bill.
He argued that some manufacturing and assembling companies have all folded up in this country because people could not afford to buy brand new cars.
“As a country, we enacted a law to prevent people from importing overage cars, but people still go ahead to import those cars because there is a demand for it.
“As a country, we need to look into the past to project the future. It is not that you want to score cheap political points so you will do anything that will affect the masses.
“Those assembling companies have not started yet so prices of cars are generally going to go up because there will be high demand for cars in the system. How do you run a country to the disadvantage of the masses who are poor and cannot afford brand new cars?…
“…I am pleading with the government to withdraw this bill from parliament with immediate effect,” he stated.
Parliament has adopted and approved the Joint Committees on Finance, Trade and Industry and Tourism report for amendments to be made in the Customs Act, 2015.
The Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to amend the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) to provide incentives for automotive manufacturers and assemblers registered under the Ghana Automotive Manufacturing Development Programme (GAMDP).
It will prohibit the importation of salvaged motor vehicles comprising wrecked, destroyed, or physically damaged by collision, fire, water or other occurrences as well as specified motor vehicles over 10 years of age into the country.
The Bill will also increase the import duty on specific motor vehicles and provide import duty exemptions for the security agencies and officers of the security agencies especially those who go on various assignments and peacekeeping in the security interest of Ghana.
The government, in August 2019, launched the GAMDP to promote the manufacture of automobiles for both the domestic market and the West Africa sub-region.
The program is part of the efforts by the government to develop some strategic anchor industries that will promote economic development in the country.
